Some popup books are only gimmicky, but Keith Faulkner's text will win fans with its exuberant use of popup effects and a story that will make sense to the youngest reader. Ever wonder how pigs came by their short, wrinkly snouts? Once upon a time, there was a long-nosed pig who spent more time boasting about his nose than looking where he was going. His neighbors (an anteater, a swordfish, a toucan) are all long-nosed as well, and their images on the cleverly designed pages-each sporting a brilliant color collage-really pop out at readers. Still, you probably won't be prepared for the double-page spread at the end. This book's appeal is not subtle, but if you want great big belly laughs, go for it.

Only a few hundred of these tiny deer are left in the Florida Keys, and Margaret Goff Clark makes you want to take a trip to see them. (Ironically, being struck by cars is the largest cause of death among them.) Standing anywhere from 2 to 3 feet high at the shoulders, this diminutive subspecies of Virginia white-tailed deer offers an appealing subject to teach young readers about the dangers of human kindness toward "cute" animals. Though hand-feeding is illegal, many cannot resist it, and Clark makes clear that the consequences are deadly for the animals, as they tend to come to populated-and hence, for them, dangerous-areas. She includes the story of one "rescued" fawn that was never able to adapt to wildlife after so much human attention. A brief history of the deer gives perspective on changing attitudes toward them. Though not long, the book offers a fine sense of regional ecology and the difficulties of preservation work.

I LOVE MY HAIR!

By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Little Brown (ages 5-8), $14.95

Keyana has a head of hair-thick, luxuriant, African-American hair. Every night her mother combs it, and there always are a few tangled places. Cuddling her daughter through the nightly tears, Mama explains how wonderful the hair is, because it can be worn so many different ways. Then the pictures show us Keyana's styles, and the story of how she gradually comes to love all that her hair can be. The story's strength is the warmth of a mother's love, which reaches out to shore up a little one feeling less than grand. Though much of the story could be about any of childhood's smaller afflictions, such as freckles or the color of your hair, some of what Keyana learns involves a brief look at what the Afro meant in the '60s. E.B. Lewis' illustrations serve the story well, showing Keyana's lively movement from so many different angles. When Keyana says, on the last page, that her favorite style makes her feel as if she might fly, Lewis' picture makes us believe it.